Ash is a very popular dish among Iranians. In the good old days, Iranians were famous for the varieties of ashes they could prepare. There are many stories connected with the preparation of ash and the origin of this dish.
The Persian word tor cook is ashpaz, literally maker of the soup. The word kitchen in Persian is ashpaz-khaneh, that is the house of the cook. This should indicate the importance of the word ash and the role that soup used to play in the lives of the ancient Iranians. Ash is basically a very simple dish. The varieties of ash depend on geographic location and the available ingredients.
It can be a very simple meal, prepared inexpensively, or it can be a rich meal if one knows how to spice it properly. Iranians again use their own original spicing for this basically simple meal, but with a touch of true artistry they create a meal as simple yet as exotic as the poetry of Omar Khayyam and as colorful and rich as the miniature paintings of master painters like Behzad.